[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 137 (Wednesday, October 1, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1943]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING LAS MISIONES--PRESERVING SAN ANTONIO'S LIVING HISTORY WEEK

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                        HON. CHARLES A. GONZALEZ

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 1, 2003

  Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, next week Old Spanish Missions Inc. will 
launch the $15 million Las Misiones--Preserving San Antonio's Living 
History capital campaign. This campaign will provide critical funds to 
preserve and restore the San Antonio Missions. These missions are among 
the most important historical sites in America. Today I am paying 
tribute to this important campaign to keep the unique history and 
culture of San Antonio alive.
  The King of Spain sent families to establish missions that became the 
heart of San Antonio. Though the missions were originally built to 
expand Spanish New World influence northward from Mexico, the missions' 
Franciscan Fathers have, throughout San Antonio's history, provided 
valuable charitable services and ministered the needs of the native 
people who were displaced by the settlements.
  Each of the San Antonio Missions has its own story, which together 
comprise a significant part of the tumultuous and beautiful history of 
central Texas. Mission San Jose was used as a garrison during battles. 
Mission Concepcion became the center of religious activity. Mission 
Espada is known for its unusually crooked archway--perhaps a mistake by 
the builder. Mission San Juan's rich farmlands made it a regional 
supplier of agricultural produce. At a time when our city is developing 
faster than ever, the Las Misiones campaign is preserving an important 
piece of our past, so the stories of the San Antonio Missions will not 
be forgotten.
  Today I thank the Las Misiones Campaign for helping save these crown 
jewels of San Antonio by educating the public and raising funds to 
prevent their deterioration. Over 1.5 million people visit the San 
Antonio Missions each year and they have become San Antonio's third 
biggest tourist attraction. As President Lyndon B. Johnson once said, 
``If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than 
contempt, we must leave them more than the miracles of technology. We 
must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not 
just after we got through with it.'' To those of us who cherish the 
relics of the past, we should be indebted to the Las Misiones Campaign 
for their work to care for the buildings whose foundations were laid by 
our ancestors many years ago.

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